Familiar Face
by nadillaandlaprasthefireandice
Summary: After becoming Champion of Alola, Riana decided to get away from the celebration at Iki Town. There, she met up with a familiar face: a Team Skull Grunt who had battled her before the gang was disbanded! Team Skull Grunt x Oc


**Hi, so this is the first time I'm writing a pairing that I like in Pokemon and that is the female protagonist from Sun and Moon with a Team Skull grunt. I think it's cute because no one takes them seriously and they have the funniest dialogues in the game. Also, I kinda went for the different choice during Ilima's trial about remembering them and the result seemed like they were genuine about it.**

**Enough of that! Let's get fluffy!**

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Riana was happy that she had become Alola's new champion!

She couldn't have done it without her beloved Pokemon team consisting of Mimikyu, Salazzle, Lycanroc, Vikavolt, Toucannon and her starter Primarina. All of them experienced the journey together ever since Riana and her mom moved to Alola.

As much as she loved celebrating with her friends and family, she would like a bit of peace and quiet. She watched the party as her friend Hau was teaching some of the new kids some Z-Moves with his grandfather, Hala.

Her mother and her Kanto Meowth were chatting with a few neighbours and one of the Kahunas, Olivia who was letting her Lycanroc out of her Pokeball. The party was lively under the beautiful moonlight and stars. Riana looked up and saw the legendary Pokemon, Lunala soaring over the clouds. She smiled and waved, hoping Nebby would see her.

Nebby.

She would never forget that the powerful legendary was once a cute Cosmog that was carried by her close friend Lillie. '_I wonder if she's doing alright in Kanto_,' Riana thought to herself. After becoming champion, Lillie had told her that she was going on a trip to Kanto after the whole Ultra Beast event to rescue her mother. Her brother Gladion had stayed at Aether Paradise to manage the place while their mother was still recovering.

Riana had never forgotten the guy and his pose which made her laugh. Sometimes she and Hau mimicked his angry pose behind his back.

But in all seriousness, there were a lot of memories made ever since she started her Pokemon journey.

During her stay, she and Hau went on the journey together and met the gang that caused mischief on the island: Team Skull.

It's ironic that the group's intimidating name were not taken seriously by the locals. Riana found them a bit funny and a bit annoying when they tried to disturb the peace. That was until she met them again at Po Town and everything changed.

She even remembered some of the members including their boss, Guzma.

But there was one member of the grunts that she had encountered several times during the journey despite all of them looking alike. What made him different was how his Pokemon reacted to her own and the colour of his eyes...

Sighing, she took out her Pokeball and Lycanroc came out. He was a midnight formed Lycanroc with his red fur and fierce red eyes. She still can't believed that he used to be a shy Rockruff when she first caught him when her Primarina was still a Popplio.

Oh how time flies!

"Come on," she gestured to the open area where nature awaits them and it was the same spot that she met Lilie. "Let's go for a walk. I bet we could get some pictures while we're at it."

Lycanroc growled his answer before following his trainer in his lumbering steps. The night was cool and breezy, making him closed his eyes for a bit. Then, he sniffed the air and his expression lit up. He tugged Riana's arm excitedly.

"Hey, what is it?" Riana asked before she was dragged into the clearing by her Pokemon. She trusted him, so she was surprised when she saw a young man about her age sitting close to the edge. Her eyes widened behind her black prescript glasses.

It was a Team Skull Grunt!

He had his outfit consisting of the skull cap that hid his blue hair, the matching tank and shorts along with the bandana that acted as a mask to cover his mouth. Riana's Lycanroc howled before she could shushed him.

The figure turned his head around before getting up with his walk and hand signs.

"Yo, Yo!" he beatboxed while Riana looked away, it was him! She also was hiding her blush. "I haven't seen you on the fly, as if you're just passing by, yo!"

"Hey," Riana managed to greet him. The Team Skull grunt looked at her and then at her Lycanroc who gave a wolfish grin. He smiled, knowing that this was the same girl he and his homie had been pestering since her first trial and the berry incident. The last encounter was at Po town before she went to confront the boss.

_Damn, she's still cute!_

"Isn't that your Rockruff?" he asked, which Riana nodded. He whistled, making the Lycanroc folded his arms proudly. "Woah, he looks stronger now. I don't supposed you still have your other Pokemon?"

"And how's your little Zubat?"

The grunt smirked and called out his Pokemon from their Pokeballs. There, a little Salandit, a tank Golisopod and a Crobat fluttering in the air, circling around them. Riana also called out her Pokemon and she swore that she saw a smile behind his bandana.

"Yo!" he cried. "That's your team? That's so rad, it's making me feel sad!"

He went over to reach out to Riana's Primarina, who took the grunt's hand in a sort of handshake. He remembered battling her when the Primarina was just a Popplio. But that changed when Riana added a Pikipek to the team, making his Zubat flutter excitedly which made the grunt confused. Riana's Toucannon saw the Crobat and began to squawk a warning. She was wavering her gaze hoping the poison-type doesn't see her blush.

But that made the Crobat have little hearts on his eyes!

"Hey now!" the grunt waved in front of his poison-flying type. "You're supposed to be intimidating! Not like a Swoobat dating!"

Riana giggled and nudged him. "Oh come on! I think they know each other too well. So, what were you doing out here?"

The grunt's expression suddenly changed. He slumped down into a squat, not looking at Riana. Riana decided to sit next to him. His Crobat sensed him, flew down between them to give the grunt a hug. Riana petted the bat Pokemon.

"After Team Skull was disband, all of us scattered across the island, you dig?" Riana nodded in understanding, encouraging the grunt to continue. "So some of us were lucky to have second chances like working at the restaurants or something like that. The rest of us? Well, we're just washed up just like the town we invaded years ago! And now...I don't know if I really have a chance to do my trial or be teased by other trainers...They even said my Salandit and Crowbat were weak and Golisopod was a joke..."

Riana felt sorry for the grunt. During her encounters with him and his gang, she remembered him feeling a bit down when he was placed lower than a regular Pokemon. After her battle with Team Skull, her perspective of them changed from annoying goons that love to mess with everyone to people who are lost and the gang accepted them when no one else could.

"Hey," she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Riana decided to comfort and hug him, because he deserved it. They stayed in silence minus the small sobs coming from the grunt. His bandana was askew from his breakdown.

Mimikyu, one of Riana's Pokemon riddled up to the former gang member and embraced him with her ghost-like appendages. The grunt had never felt this comfort for a long time from anyone. He took hold of Riana's hands in his.

"Ever since you showed up on the island," he confessed, slowly calming down. "I thought we're gonna caused you trouble but you beat us to it! Then, I was kinda impressed at how you recognised me and my homie when you did Ilima's trial, since all of us looked alike. Then when we met again in Po Town, you.."

"Yes?"

"You smiled at me. Waved at me as if I am your friend. Why?"

Riana smiled, even her Pokemon sensed it they crowded around the both of them.

"I thought you guys were the scariest bunch before I battled you. After that, I noticed that you never threatened any of us or harm us to the point people don't take you seriously. And I guessed...I kinda like you..."

The grunt's expression lit up. "Say what again?!"

Riana blushed. "I sort of like you."

"Yo," he chuckled. "I like you too! Say, we've been doing this mushy stuff yet we don't know each other's names!"

"Oh yeah!" Riana laughed. "I'm Riana by the way."

The grunt took her hand and kissed it, making the young girl blush. "Call me Jay."

So the both of them decided to celebrate their newfound friendship and relationship by watching the stars and their Pokemon playing with each other. The both of them would never realised that their previous encounters would make them into something more.

And they were both glad that it did!

**THE END**

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**Aww! Isn't that sweet? If you want more stories of Riana x Jay Grunt, please review or PM message me. Also, it's kinda funny that his guy has 2 evolved Pokemon and a poor male Salandit! XD**

**Hope you like it!**


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